1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outlet adapted for installation on an exterior wall of a building wherein the outlet has a unitary, integrally molded flat flange extending thereabout.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the construction of buildings exterior wall outlets are frequently required. Such outlets are typically formed to house electrical sockets which are accessible from the outside of a building. Other types of outlets, such as plumbing hose bibs, dryer vents, and the like are also provided.
Conventional commercial and residential structures typically have outer walls formed of stucco, wood siding, shingle siding, aluminum siding or brick. Although building walls are constructed with the objective of creating a wind proof and water tight structure, very frequently a certain amount of precipitation can penetrate the outer structures of the walls, such as through cracks between siding boards or panels and by porous seepage through stucco.
To waterproof a building during the initial building construction the framework of the building is normally swathed with overlapping horizontally oriented strips of a waterproofing material, such as construction grade black paper. This black paper does provide a waterproof barrier or skin within the confines of the outer wall structure and is designed to provide an impenetrable barrier to precipitation. However, in order to provide access from outside the building to external wall outlets holes must be cut in the black paper. Each such hole represents a possible source of water penetration into the interior of the building at the location of each exterior wall outlet.
A conventional exterior outlet has the disadvantage of not being waterproof. For example, stucco is somewhat porous so that water can seep in behind the stucco and run down the outer surface of the horizontally overlapping layers of waterproof black paper. The black paper keeps the water from entering the interior of the building structure until the water reaches an opening in the black paper which has been cut to accommodate an exterior wall outlet. At that location water dripping down the outside of the black paper drops onto the top of an outside wall outlet and can flow across the top of that outlet structure inwardly toward the interior wall. In a standard exterior wall outlet box the water drips off of the black paper and runs inwardly, generally horizontally along the top of the outside outlet, and seeps into the interior of the building. The interior walls of the building are thus subjected to water damage, and significant safety hazards are created. For example, if the water enters an electrical outlet box it can create a short circuit and the danger of either fire or electrical shock.